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Scalise at Leadership Press Conference: “Putting Patients Back in Charge”

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WASHINGTON, D.C.-- At a House Leadership Republican press conference today, Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) discussed the American Health Care Act and the steps to repeal and replace Obamacare.

On giving families the freedom to choose their own health care...

"The first thing is that we're going to give American families the freedom to choose their own healthcare back to them. That was taken away with Obamacare, where literally unelected bureaucrats tell you what you can and can't buy. Even if you liked a plan, you can no longer have it. That's gone in our bill. American families have real freedom to choose their own healthcare plans."

On lowering the cost of care...

"We also said that we would lower the cost of healthcare. Of course, that was confirmed too because of the market innovations and the freedoms that we're giving to families. We transform the Medicaid system, something that's revolutionary, giving governors the flexibility to bring innovative ideas forward and make this very broken part of health care work better for families across this country. We reduce taxes by over 800 billion dollars, putting real money in the pockets of working families."

On next steps...

"This bill is an important first step, and as President Trump said, as we've all said, it's the first of three important steps. Secretary Price has roughly 1400 powers in current law to go and stabilize the healthcare marketplace. He's hard at work already doing that.

"We're really happy with where we are because we've put a plan together and we're working with the president to actually fulfill the promises of putting patients back in charge of their healthcare decisions, lowering the cost of healthcare and finally stabilizing a marketplace that is collapsing under the failed weight of Obamacare."